Pavement burner



y 1964 J. A. FINGLAND 3,132,642

PAVEMENT BURNER Filed July 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

@ JOHN A. F/NGLA/VD A r TO/PNEVS y 1954 J, FINGLAND 3,132,642

. PAVEMENT BURNER Filed y 2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,pnn'ulilm 'iilpulliiINVENTOR. JOHN A. F/NGLAND ELL/2W 5 WM A T TO/P/VEVS United StatesPatent 3,132,642 PAVEMENT BURNER John A. Fingland, 1G1 Fairview Ave.,Piedmont, Calif. 1

Filed July 23, 1962,.Ser. No. 211,702

4 Claims. (Cl. 126-2712) My invention relates to means'having a varietyof uses but especially finding application in the heating of pavementsuch as asphalt or macadam pavement for repair purposes. .It iscustomary to draw a vehicle over pavement to be repaired with thevehicle having a flame burner for heating thepavement to an appropriatedegree for subsequent working. It is difficult to provide a suflicientlyuniform and elfective flame over a large area in order to affordconsistent treatment to the pavement in a zone large enough to beeconomically feasible and to afford effective speed for the work. It isalso difficult to provide such a burner in'which the products ofcombustion are sufficiently bland and innocuous to discharge in thevicinity without substantial objection. l

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a pavement burnerwhich affords a uniform flame for heating evenly a relatively large orextensive subjacent area of the pavement to be treated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pavement burner in whichthe combustion is sufliciently good so that the'discharge of thecombustion products in the immediate vicinity of the burner is nothazardous and does not give rise to objections.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplifiedpavement burner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pavement burnerwhich can easily be fabricated and can readily be repaired and adjusted.

Another object of the invention is in general to provide an improvedpavement burner.

Other objects of the invention together with the fore going areattainedin the embodiments of the invention described in the accompanyingdescription and illustrated.

' 40 FIGURE 1 is a plan of a pavement burner constructed in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

in accordance Withthe invention and shown in position for use;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1; v

FIGURE 3 is a detailed cross section, the plane of section beingindicated by the lines.3-3 of FIGURE 1; v

FIGURE 4 is a detailed cross section, the. plane of section beingindicated by the lines 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5, is principally a cross section, the plane of which isindicatedby the line 5-5 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 6 is an isometric view of a modified form of burner pursuant tothe invention, portions of the structure being shown in a transversesection. v

While the pavement burner can be incorporated in a number of differentways, it has been commercially-made substantially-as illustrated herein.In general there is provided a frame 6 which is a metal skeletonfabricated of structural shapes to constitute a carriage. The frameincludes elevated sides 7 and 8 and coplanar ends 11 and 12. The frameis supported 'on wheels 13. In practice the carriage is adapted to beadvanced over the pavement 14. A subframe 15 is adjustably hung fromthemain frame 6 by chains 16 and adjusting screws 17.

Disposed on the subframe 15 and extending lengthwise thereof in thegeneral direction of advance of the carriage over the pavement arevarious burner casings generally designated 18. Since the casings areidentical, a description of one applies equally to the others. In thepresent instance the casings are arranged parallel to each other and aresubstantially evenly spaced across the frame and extend forsubstantially the entire, length of the frame in the direction ofadvance.

As shown particularly in FIGURES 4 and the casings 18 is an integralmetal casting having a top wall 21, side walls 22 and 23 which approacheach other. as they extend downwardly, and end walls 24 and 26. Thus,each casing is substantially a slightly tapered but nearly rectangularbox having a hollow interior. The casing at its opposite ends isprovided with aligned, projecting lugs 27 and 28 rotatably supported inboresf29 in the subframe ends. Clampbolts 31 movable inslots 32firmlyhold the burner casings in any selected inclined position aboutthe axis of the lugs 27 and 28. Each cas-.

ing is thus adjustably but firmly fixed in place despite expansion and.contraction and can readily be removed for repair, replacement orrearrangement.

Spanning the interior of the casing at an appropriate point is ahorizontal ortransverse median wall 34' whichmerges witlithe side andend walls. of the casing to enclose an upper chamber 36. The wall 34throughout its length and at appropriately spaced intervals is providedwith elongated through openings 37. The openings extend'in series fromone erid of the casing to the other.

Also spanning the side and end walls of the casing in a location belowthe median wall 34 is a horizontal intermediate wall 38 preferablyformed integrally with the remainder of the casing and with it enclosingan intermediate ,;chamber 39 which extends for the full length and widthof the casing. J p

In a similar fashion a lower wall 41 merges with the end Walls and theside walls of the casing and extends horizontally across the casing todefine 'a lower chamber 42. lower margin of the casing inorder to leavedepending flanges 43 and 44 extending entirely around'the bottom of thecasing.

The lower wall'41 preferablyprovided. with a plurality of apertures 51and 52 uniformly distributed throughout their areas. Preferably, theapertures 51 and 52 are madeby drilling through both the lower wall andthe intermediate wall so that the apertures ar substantially in verticalalignment. 1

If desired, the lower wall may have more apertures than the intermediatewall s'implyby not drilling all of the aperturesin the lower wallthrough the intermediate 'wall.

Preferably located coaxially with the end lug 27 is an opening 53 toallow access of a combustible mixture to the interior of the casing, themixture being supplied to all of 'the casings from acom'mon source andin parallel.

For thatpurpose feed tubes, 54 project into the margins l of. thevariousopenings 53'and connect with the hollow lugs'27. A pair ofmanifolds 57 connect with all of the pipes 54. Supply pipes 58 extendthrough valves 59 from a suitable fuel source'such as atank of butane,thence in. close thermal relationship with some of the burner casingsand then to thejmanifolds 57.

In the operation of this device, a supply of gas such as propane orbutane or an equivalent materialis fed through the pipes 58 and entrainsand is mixed with a sufficient quantitywof atmospheric air enteringthrough Venturis 61 p so as to afford a combustible mixture in the pipes54 and the casings 18. The gas-air mixture is confined tempo rarily inthe upper chambers 36 of the casings. Since the openings 37 arerelatively small and are spaced apart for the entire length of theburner casing, the incoming gas is well distributed and maintains asubstantially uniform pressure throughout the elongated upper chamber.

The gas then flows uniformly through the various, spaced-apart openings37 into the intermediate chamber 39. Again, the number and location ofthe apertures in the intermediate Wall 38 is such that a substantiallyuni form pressure obtains within the chamber 39 so that flow PatentedMay 12, 1964.

5, each of The lower wall 41 is preferably spaced above the and theintermediate wall 38 are is partially confined between the flanges 43and 44. In

this protected zone between the flanges and below the wall 41 thecombustible mixture is finally mixed with secondary air from theatmosphere and is ignited so that flame appears beneath the lower plate41 and travels outwardly beneath the burner to the sides thereof,depending upon the burner inclination. The flames can be directed asdesired at any selected angle. There is an adequate supply of air forcombustion so that smoke and carbon monoxide, particularly, arevirtually eliminated. The products of combustion escaping to theatmosphere are bland and innocuous.

To assist in ignition and to provide for automatic relighting should anyof the flames become accidentally extin guished, pilot gas tubes 62extend through flexible connection to pilot burners 63.

By the provision of this structure, the incoming gas-air mixture is notonly throroughly intermixed and made substantially homogeneous beforecombustion by being passed through a plurality of series of apertures,but also the gas supply from the source at one end is distributed quiteuniformly or is directed and concentrated as desired despite the numberand length of the casings so that when combustion ensues the entirecovered pavement area can be treated substantially evenly or in aconcentrated fashion, as desired. 7

During combustion the burner casings become hot since they are subjectedto the surrounding flames, and they expand and contract in amountssomewhat different than the expansion and contraction of the supportingsubframe 15, but the pivot lugs 27 and 28 allow easily for such movementwithout inducing strains in the burner casings or in the subframe. 1

For confining the flames and directing them to a special part of thepavement, each of the casings is provided with lugs 64 pivotallysupporting guard plates 66 adjacent the frame sides. Guard plates 67 atthe ends swing from links 68 on the subframe 15. Between the casings,cover plates 69 supported by the lugs overlap in any of thevarioustilted positions of the casings and assist in confining thecombustion.

In some instances, instead of using. an integral castingv to form theburner casingI prefer to bend a plate or sheet of metal such as steelinto a U form and invert the U as shown in FIGURE 6. In this'instancethere are provided side walls 72 and 73 terminating in lower edges 74 sothat there is aflorded a burner casing of approximately the same contourand enclosure as the casing shown in FIGURE 4, for example. The ends ofthe inverted U are closed by appropriate end plates, not shown, and anapertured bottom plate 76 is flanged and welded into position to afforda position for the apertures 77 therein above the lower edges 74. Beforethe end plates are fixed in the casing, a metal tube 78 is insertedtherein and is welded at appropriate intervals. The tube 78 is providedat its top with a series of elongated openings 79 throughout its lengthand at its bottom is provided with a number of apertures 81 whichsubstantially line up with the v I 4 I apertures 77. The tube 78 when inposition helps define an upper chamber 82, itself encloses anintermediate chamber 83 and also with the bottom plate 76 defines alower chamber 84. The depending flanges enclose a protected zone forfinal mixture with secondary air. The structure of FIGURE 6 is arrangedon a subframe 15 and is supplied witha gas-air-mixture just as describedin,

connection with the other embodiment.

In both forms of the invention illustrated herein, the pavement burneris especially eifective to afford a homogeneous mixture for combustionand effectively distributes the mixture and the resulting flame quiteuniformly over a much larger area than heretofore has been deemed practical. The operation of the burners is such that the products ofcombustion discharging from the unit are. unobjectionable.

Whatis claimed is:

1. A pavement burner comprising a frame adapted to be positioned justabove a pavement; a plurality of elongated burner casings, each of saidcasings including a substantially horizontal top wall, a pair ofsubstantially vertical side walls, and a pair of substantially verticalend walls, and each of'said burner casings including a substantiallyhorizontal median wall extending across said casing and having openingstherein at intervals and constituting the bottom of an upper chamber insaid burner casing, a substantially horizontal intermediate wallextending across said casing and constituting the bottom of anintermediate chamber, a substantially horizontal lower wall extendingacross said casing and constituting the bottom of a lower chamber, saidintermediate Wall and said lower wall having apertures therethrough;means for mounting said burner casings on said frame in horizontal,parallel relationship and for rotation about horizontal, parallel axes,said mounting means including a plurality of hollow lugs each concentricwith one of. said axes and disposed on one of said end walls incommunication with said upper chamber; means for holding said burnercasings in selected positions of rotation about said axes; and means forconducting a combustible mixture through said hollow lugs to said upperchamber. 7

2. A pavement burner as in claim 1 in which said side walls and said endwalls depend below said lower wall and are imperforate to define aprotected zone beneath said casing. g

3. A pavement burner as in claim 1 in which said apertures in saidintermediate wall and said lower wall are in substantially verticalalignment.

4. A pavement burner as in claim 1 and including substantiallyhorizontal overlapping cover plates movably mounted on said side wallsand extending longitudinally of said burner casings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS851,486 Bennett Apr. 23, 1907 1,077,260 Daley Nov. 4, 1913 1,322,459Mattern Nov. 18, 1919 1,552,355 Starner Sept. 1, 1925 1,610,542 WilsonDec. 14, 1926 1,619,516 Howell Mar. 1, 1927 2,219,787 Parker Oct. 29,1940 2,228,114 Hess Jan. 7, 1941 2,457,683 Kittel et al. Dec. 28, 1948-3,055,280 Neville Sept. 25, 1962 3,080,912 Winter Mar. 12, 1963

1. A PAVEMENT BURNER COMPRISING A FRAME ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED JUSTABOVE A PAVEMENT; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BURNER CASINGS, EACH OF SAIDCASINGS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL TOP WALL, A PAIR OFSUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDE WALLS, AND A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALEND WALLS, AND EACH OF SAID BURNER CASINGS INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL MEDIAN WALL EXTENDING ACROSS SAID CASING AND HAVING OPENINGSTHEREIN AT INTERVALS AND CONSTITUTING THE BOTTOM OF AN UPPER CHAMBER INSAID BURNER CASING, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL INTERMEDIATE WALLEXTENDING ACROSS SAID CASING AND CONSTITUTING THE BOTTOM OF ANINTERMEDIATE CHAMBER, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LOWER WALL EXTENDINGACROSS SAID CASING AND CONSTITUTING THE BOTTOM OF A LOWER CHAMBER, SAIDINTERMEDIATE WALL AND SAID LOWER WALL HAVING APERTURES THERETHROUGH;MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID BURNER CASINGS ON SAID FRAME IN HORIZONTAL,PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP AND FOR ROTATION ABOUT HORIZONTAL, PARALLEL AXES,SAID MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW LUGS EACH CONCENTRICWITH ONE OF SAID AXES AND DISPOSED ON ONE OF SAID END WALLS INCOMMUNICATION WITH SAID UPPER CHAMBERS; MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID BURNERCASINGS IN SELECTED POSITIONS OF ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXES; AND MEANS FORCONDUCTING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE THROUGH SAID HOLLOW LUGS TO SAID UPPERCHAMBER.